Wire-fence-machine drive mechanism



and injury to the pins.`

Patented Nov. Y16, 1926.

uNiTlEnsrAzrss A f intrisa Param or ries PAUL w.DII.Lo1\T, oFsTERLING, ILLINOIS, AssIGNo'e To NORTHWESTEEN Bane 'WIRE Y l f coivIrANY, or STERLING, ILLINOIS. f

WIRE-FENCE-.i/IAcI-IINE nRIvniviEcHANIsi/i. 1 'i Application sied December 1271923. serial-ivo. 680,115.

My Vinvention has reference to drive fmechanismfor Wire fence machines, and relates more specially to that class of such machinesv Vin Which one set of Wires is inter-coiled yWith another set by means of a rotating series of spindlesf In these machines one series of VWires, comprising the strand Wires ofthe fence, are conducted through the machine in Ya -longit-udinal direction, While other Wires are introduced transversely offl the strand Wires, rand cut into short sections,V

lthe `ends of Which arel tvvisted upon the strand Wires, forming at regularl intervals continuous cross-Wires, or pickets for the fence. VIn"v `some cases thev cross-Wires are not" cut into sections,but are v,attached to y thestrand Wires by short pieces,or tie Wires, which are fedintothe machine so as to cross f the intersection ofthe-strand and cross Wires '20 diagonally thereof. 'In 4most machines of this kind the spindles are operated in a substantially continuous manner, and at the same rate of speed throughout their. movement. At their operating .ends .said spindles are lfitted with 'projecting pins, Which-engage-theendsof the Wiresfor the purpose of coiling the same, andby reason of the almost continuous rotation of the spindles, such pins frequently interfere With the movement of the Wires, catching inthe same, vand causing breakage of the Wires,

- One of the purposes of the present invention is to provide 4a drive mechanism'the action of Which Willresult in an intermittent movement of the spindles, and Which said action is transmitted to l the spindles by means of gear mechanism which Will impart to the spindles a gradually increasing movement up to a point Where the coiling operation is half'accomplished, and then gradually reduce asthe spindlesapproach a point of rest. By this means an excessive rat-e of l speed vis produced 'in the spindles in that `part ofthe movement Where the greatest speed is required,but Which speed is great-V ly reduced Vwhen it is desired spindles come to a stop.

' In the drawings .Y

Fig. lis a plan view of a fragmentary to have the part rof a Wire fence machine, equipped .nfith. the improvement, 1 Fig. 2 is a sid-e elevation of the operating devices, andV` v 21', at 'theirgi'eatest movement.

AS theimproved mechanism .does not involve the manner of conducting` the Wires through the machine, nor of performing the 7' coiling operationsbymeansf of which said Fi'g..3is a detail of vthe gear-Wheels 2O and Wiresvare connected With each other in the- Y formationv ofa Wire-fabric,` only so much ofa machine of usual pattern is shown m the'drawings asisdeemedgnecessary for the purposes of illustration, with theI parts .of

the invention adapted andapplied'thereto. A 'fragmentary part of a "frame-,is shown, in vvhich land 2 indicatetheV side-pieces, suitablyv supported, and united at Aone point bya'cross-'plate- 3, supporting: a seriesy of ,bea-rings 4, in which are rotatably vmounted the coiling spindles 5`,througli channels` in centers of which are' fed vk the Vstrand 'Wires 6. Flxed on'the rear ends of the {spindles 5 arebe'vel-'gear Wheels,7,j inmesh with similar vv'vvlieels8 fixed -on 'a cross-shaftf),

'Vjourn'alled on lthe frame of -tlie"machine, and

adapted for rotation by `a `drive-shaftlO,

alsorotatably mounted' transversely of the frameV by the following,y means On one .end of the shaft 10 is fixed a crank-disk 11, to which is `pivoted one end of a pitman 12, the other end of suclipitman being'loosely connected Withan arm 13, rockingly mounted on a shaft 14, also journalled in the frame of `the machine, transversely thereof. ,Fixed on the shaft 14 is a ratcheti i diskl, the teeth of Which are capablefofl successive engagementjby a paWl 16 carried' by the arm 13. Mountedv vinthe frame is a shaft V19, upon which is rotatably supported a gear pinion 17, in 'mesh Witha gear-Wheel k18, fix-ed on the shaft. 14.. -Each rotation ofy the shaft 10 rresults in a rockingjmovement ofthefarm 13 forward and back, the length of such movement being sufficient togive to the'disltl a partial rotation, equalling the?,vv

lspace from one of the teeth'there'on to the nextvsucceeding tooth. This partial rotation of lthe disk is imparted'to the shaft 14V v speed and Wheel 18, each of such movements of the Wheel 18 operating to give a complete rotation to the pinion 17 andshaft 19. movement of this shaft is imparted to the shaft 9 by means of a pair of eccentrically.

mounted and odd-shaped gear-Wheels 2O and 21, in mesh with each other, and fixed respectively, upon the shafts 19 Vand 9.

The arrangement of the gear-Wheels 2QY and V21 is. Such-that the small end of theY alignment, as shown in Fig. 3.' From this Vpoint the ,speed rWillbe gradually reduced again, until. just Vbefore'the shaft 19 comes 'tof aV rest, vthe minimum ofv speed Will be reachedlonce more. yAsa result thespeed of the shaft 9is accelerated quite rapidly,

' .and gcorrespondingly Vslowed downv after the maximun'i thereof is reached.A This speed Y variation-'Will also be imparted to the'spindlesy, causing them te pick up quite lrapidly, andas suddenly lose their momentum. This greatly facilitatesthe'operation ofthe Wire 'coiling devices in machines of thisfclass. It will beobseivedjtliat the movement of the shaftY 14a`is.an intermittent one, and that there isa period when such shaft, and all of the parts actuated thereby, are at rest. This period of rest gives ample time forv the Wire fabric to be advanced 'so the same-Will cleary The Y 1,8m, me

the ceiling devices. rllhis is supplemented by the comparatively sloiiTv movement of the spindlesii'iien the;7 begin to rotate.

`ilhat l claim as my invention, and desire to secure bv Letters Patent, is:

1. ln combination,with' a Wire yfence maj chine and a plurality of Wire twisting spindles iotatahly mounted therein, a. shaft ro- I .lji mounted and operatively ,connected with said spindles; a drive-shaft'in proximity to said first-named shaft gv and a pair of eccentric gear-Wheels mounted one on each ef said shafts, and in mesh With each other, theV movement of the gear-Wheel on Vsaid drive-shaft imparting to the gear-Wheel' on the othei slaft an acceier'ated speedduring a portion of therotation thereof, and a diminishing 'speed dui-ing the remainder'of said rotation, which variations of'Spe'ed are communicated to said first-named rshaft and to said spindles. e f

' '2. ln combination -with a wire fenceV machine and a plurality of Wire twisting spindies rotatably mounted thereon; a' shaft rotatably mounted and operatively .connected #with said spindles; Va vdrive-shaftY rotatably mounted in proximity to,"` said first-'named shaft; means for imparting to` saidV driveshaft an'rinterniittent rotation; and: a pair of eccentri ally shaped.` gear-Wheels, eccentricallfyf mounted, one on each of said,V shafts, each rotation of the driven gear-Wheel im'- earting to the other gear-wheelV a gradually increasing movement during aipartial rotatioii thereof, and av gradually decreasing movement during the remainder of rsaid rotation, said variable movement being" com-.

municated to theY driven `shaft andlspinol'les actuated thereby. Y 'y i Y j In testimony whereof l aiiX my signature.

- PAUL`W. DILLON. 

